Chico supports state bill for civil unions

Mayoral candidate Gery Chico said Sunday he supports civil unions for same-sex couples and will urge state lawmakers to legalize them when the General Assembly meets this week.

"To me, it's a matter of basic fairness and decency, and it ought to pass," Chico said during a meeting held by a dozen members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community at a North Side restaurant, Ann Sather.

Chicago's mayor, however, has little ability to recognize same-sex couples with civil unions. Chico acknowledged that if state legislation does not pass, it's unlikely he would push for a Chicago-only measure should he become mayor.

"I'm not much for drama and hollow actions," Chico said. "We don't want to mislead people and give them the false impression that they have protections if it may not hold up."

Other mayoral candidates, including former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun and former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, support passage of the civil unions bill, which could get a vote during the legislature's veto session.

If elected, Chico said he would extend domestic-partner benefits to city contractors and work to implement mandatory LGBT diversity training for all members of the Chicago police and fire departments. Chico, a longtime troubleshooter for Mayor Richard Daley, has a history of advocating for gay rights.

Rick Garcia, director of public policy for the gay-rights organization Equality Illinois, had words of praise for Chico at Sunday's event. His presence, however, should not be seen as an endorsement, Garcia said.

"It's too early to make an endorsement. My job is to talk to mayoral candidates and make sure they take into consideration gay issues," Garcia said. "We want to make sure the next mayor follows in Daley's footsteps."

State Sen. James T. Meeks, who also is running for mayor, has met with Garcia and LGBT leaders three times, Garcia said. Meeks faces two challenges in winning over the gay community: his conservative legislative record on gay issues and his words from the pulpit of his South Side megachurch. Some LGBT leaders have said they don't distinguish between Meeks as a pastor and a politician.

Emanuel, meanwhile, released his second television campaign commercial, a one-minute spot his campaign said would start on cable news stations Monday. It touts his help as a Chicago congressman in keeping a small manufacturing company from relocating to Wisconsin.